- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Telefon Tel Aviv “Immolate Yourself” (BPC207)
The waiting is finally over! After all the ups and downs of the past year, we can happily report that Joshua Eustis now firmly intends to continue Telefon Tel Aviv as a solo project. In order to mark his decision with a bang, the wonderful title track ‘Immolate Yourself’ is being released as the second single from the current LP. The song has been entrusted to highly acclaimed and diverse remix artists who have skilfully stripped down the epic album track to more club-friendly formats.
The A side is delivered by label-mate Thomas Muller, whose finely detailed techno soundscapes can now be enjoyed on five BPC 12" releases. His ‘Immolate Yourself’ remix takes a much more direct approach. He reduces the lush arrangement of the original to a powerful basic framework, leaves out the vocals almost entirely, and creates a surprise when the track crumbles into sonic chaos towards the end.
Miss Fitz aka Maayan Nidam has had singles released on labels including Raum Musik and Freak n' Chic, and these have been remixed by renowned artists such as Ricardo Villalobos. Her version of ‘Immolate Yourself’ also makes a clear break from the album track and serves up her very own brand of abstract, dancefloor-friendly house. Once again, all the opulence of the original is thrown overboard; a dry beat is placed at the centre of the arrangement and enriched with sinuous vocals.
Ben Klock needs no further introduction – he is the epitome of the bleak, hard minimal sound. His album ‘One’ is currently available on Ostgut Ton, and as a remixer he has earned the highest acclaim for his version of Depeche Mode’s ‘Peace’. Ben’s ‘Jack Mix’ is fittingly titled and lives up to all the expectations of the name. The track is stripped back to a resounding, hammer-like beat framework – minimised for maximum effect.
BPitch legend Sascha Funke delivers a surprise with another astoundingly reduced remix, at least by his standards. He turns away from the melodic richness of his current album ‘Mango’ in favour of repetitive fragments and an extended arc of tension which will surely make his ‘Immolate Yourself’ remix a massive after-hour hit.
TRACKLISTING:
A) Immolate Yourself (Thomas Muller Burning Man Remix)
B1) Immolate Yourself (Miss Fitz Remix)
B2) Immolate Yourself (Ben Klock's Jack Remix)
Immolate Yourself (Sascha Funke Digital Bonus)
ARTIST: Telefon Tel Aviv
TITLE: Immolate Yourself
RELEASE: 11.01.2010
FORMAT: 12” / Digital
CAT NR.: BPC207
EAN: 880319447716
LC: 11753
distributed by Kompakt / Finetunes
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
"Eclipses" is an extension of "Gyromancy". Remaining in view of what came before and altering the vision. Pushing out beyond natural terrestrial landscapes into those slightly more cosmic or alien in scope. It makes an appropriate addendum to the onset of this particular phase.
Flanko Iun (1)
1. Crayon Gym
2. Fantomoj de la Vitro Domo
3. Suno Vidis
Flank Du (2)
4. Tajdaj Ondoj
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
This is a terrific reissue of pieces Spiegel created at Bell Laboratories between 1974-77 when computers were as big as fridge-freezers. Included with her landmark 1980 LP are 15 superb additions, including the entire Appalachian Grove series and "Kepler's Harmony of the Worlds," her contribution to the golden record launched aboard the Voyager spacecraft.
The Expanding Universe is a pioneering work in the fields of music composition and computer programing. Just as important, from the musical perspective, it is infused with an obvious appreciation of John Fahey's radical guitar instrumentals, in particular, and J.S. Bach. It was processed with the Generating realtime operations on voltage-controlled equipment (Groove) hybrid system developed by Max Matthews and F.R. Moore at Bell labs. Spiegel was fascinated with analog synthesizers in the late 1960s and already had a degree in music composition when she began trying to combat some creative frustrations inherent in the limitations of technology. On a basic level these included lack of memory, the rules of logic, and the degree of spontaneous interaction between human and computer. In video interviews Spiegel comes across like an exceptionally charming astronaut: super sharp, humble, expressive, and excited by exploration and expression. Her explanations are clear and intelligent to the point of being seductive.
In this same period Laurie Spiegel also created one of the first paint programs as later she designed "Music Mouse - An Intelligent Instrument" for Apple, Amiga, and Atari computers. Her apparent disillusionment with the focus on product over research and experiment put her off the electronic-computer music "scene" and she supported herself by programming and teaching mainly, although her music has been used in movies and television. She reminds us that computers were envisaged as labor-saving devices and in a musical application this allowed for easy repetition of melody and rhythm and for the composer's intentions to be amplified and increased beyond their imagining.
In terms of how The Expanding Universe was created, Spiegel refers to a "synergistic oscillation" between what the technology suggests to the artist and the original creative need or vision the artist brings to the technology. She insists that this principle is no different than writing for an instrument such as violin or a drum. Back in the lab, the move from analog to early digital systems, with stepwise incremental capability, eventually allowed Spiegel "freedom to define any world you wanted, and work within it." My description of her video interviews applies equally to her music: very clear and intelligent, with a humble yet profound spirit, where nothing is disguised or exaggerated for gimmick. These pieces retain a revolutionary freshness and an honesty of which Fahey would be proud. They also reflect an appreciation for nature and Spiegel's ability to play banjo and lute.
The limited edition LP on transparent vinyl is likely to become a collectors item. "Folk Study" is added to the original tracklist of "Patchwork," "Old Wave," and "Pentachrome," on side A. "The Expanding Universe" is on side B. It comes with download codes for the whole 19 track CD set. Both include a 24 page booklet featuring Laurie Spiegel's notes and period photographs. This is a sensational release.
Read More
This is a terrific reissue of pieces Spiegel created at Bell Laboratories between 1974-77 when computers were as big as fridge-freezers. Included with her landmark 1980 LP are 15 superb additions, including the entire Appalachian Grove series and "Kepler's Harmony of the Worlds," her contribution to the golden record launched aboard the Voyager spacecraft.
The Expanding Universe is a pioneering work in the fields of music composition and computer programing. Just as important, from the musical perspective, it is infused with her obvious appreciation of John Fahey’s radical guitar instrumentals, in particular, and J.S. Bach. It was processed with the Generating realtime operations on voltage-controlled equipment (Groove) hybrid system developed by Max Matthews and F.R. Moore at Bell labs. Spiegel was fascinated with analog synthesizers in the late 1960s and already had a degree in music composition when she began trying to combat some creative frustrations inherent in the limitations of technology. On a basic level these included lack of memory, the rules of logic, and the degree of spontaneous interaction between human and computer. In video interviews Spiegel comes across like an exceptionally charming astronaut, super sharp, humble, expressive, excited by exploration and expression. Her explanations are clear and intelligent to the point of being seductive.
In this same period Laurie Spiegel also created one of the first paint programs as later she designed “Music Mouse - An Intelligent Instrument” for Mac, Amiga and Atari computers. Her apparent disillusionment with the focus on product over research and experiment put her off the electronic-computer music “scene” and she supported herself by programming and teaching mainly, although her music has been used in movies and television. She reminds us that computers were envisaged as labor-saving devices and in a musical application this allowed for easy repetition of melody and rhythm and for the composer’s intentions to be amplified and increased beyond their imagining.
In terms of how The Expanding Universe was created, Spiegel refers to a “synergistic oscillation” between what the technology suggests to the artist and the original creative need or vision the artist brings to the technology. She insists that this principle is no different than writing for an instrument such as violin or a drum. Back in the lab, the move from analog to early digital systems, with stepwise incremental capability, eventually allowed Spiegel “freedom to define any world you wanted, and work within it.” My description of her video interviews applies equally to her music: very clear and intelligent, with a humble yet profound spirit, where nothing is disguised or exaggerated for gimmick. These pieces retain a revolutionary freshness and an honesty of which Fahey would be proud. They also reflect an appreciation for nature and Spiegel’s ability to play banjo and lute.
The limited edition LP on transparent vinyl is likely to become a collectors item. “Folk Study” is added to the original tracklist of “Patchwork”, “Old Wave” and “Pentachrome” on side A. “The Expanding Universe” is on side B. It comes with download codes for the whole 19 track CD set. Both include a 24 page booklet featuring Laurie Spiegel’s notes and period photographs. All in all, a sensational release.
The Expanding Universe is a pioneering work in the fields of music composition and computer programing. Just as important, from the musical perspective, it is infused with her obvious appreciation of John Fahey’s radical guitar instrumentals, in particular, and J.S. Bach. It was processed with the Generating realtime operations on voltage-controlled equipment (Groove) hybrid system developed by Max Matthews and F.R. Moore at Bell labs. Spiegel was fascinated with analog synthesizers in the late 1960s and already had a degree in music composition when she began trying to combat some creative frustrations inherent in the limitations of technology. On a basic level these included lack of memory, the rules of logic, and the degree of spontaneous interaction between human and computer. In video interviews Spiegel comes across like an exceptionally charming astronaut, super sharp, humble, expressive, excited by exploration and expression. Her explanations are clear and intelligent to the point of being seductive.
In this same period Laurie Spiegel also created one of the first paint programs as later she designed “Music Mouse - An Intelligent Instrument” for Mac, Amiga and Atari computers. Her apparent disillusionment with the focus on product over research and experiment put her off the electronic-computer music “scene” and she supported herself by programming and teaching mainly, although her music has been used in movies and television. She reminds us that computers were envisaged as labor-saving devices and in a musical application this allowed for easy repetition of melody and rhythm and for the composer’s intentions to be amplified and increased beyond their imagining.
In terms of how The Expanding Universe was created, Spiegel refers to a “synergistic oscillation” between what the technology suggests to the artist and the original creative need or vision the artist brings to the technology. She insists that this principle is no different than writing for an instrument such as violin or a drum. Back in the lab, the move from analog to early digital systems, with stepwise incremental capability, eventually allowed Spiegel “freedom to define any world you wanted, and work within it.” My description of her video interviews applies equally to her music: very clear and intelligent, with a humble yet profound spirit, where nothing is disguised or exaggerated for gimmick. These pieces retain a revolutionary freshness and an honesty of which Fahey would be proud. They also reflect an appreciation for nature and Spiegel’s ability to play banjo and lute.
The limited edition LP on transparent vinyl is likely to become a collectors item. “Folk Study” is added to the original tracklist of “Patchwork”, “Old Wave” and “Pentachrome” on side A. “The Expanding Universe” is on side B. It comes with download codes for the whole 19 track CD set. Both include a 24 page booklet featuring Laurie Spiegel’s notes and period photographs. All in all, a sensational release.
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Paul Dickow has reinvented himself. His newest release as Strategy is a huge surprise and an even bigger statement. It comes out left field on the fledgling Peak Oil label four years after the last Strategy full-length. A series of 12" records released in the last year by Under the Spire, Endless Flight, and 100% Silk are its closest brethren, but none of them sound anything like this. Paul’s rhythms are bolder and his melodies sharper this time around. Lyrics are featured prominently throughout and the atmospherics that once defined his sound have been toned down in favor of tighter instrumental performances and punchier songs. Coming along with the new sound is a gaggle of new collaborators, including Thomas Meluch (Benoît Pioulard), members of the Evolutionary Jass Band, and Scott Ryser of Units.
"Sugar Drop" is the first song on the first new Strategy album in four years. As far as I can tell, it signals the death of the old Strategy and the start of something new. It begins with a familiar but hollowed out sample from "I Have to Do This Thing," then quickly cuts away to a stomping rhythm and Paul singing "I’ve got a sweet tooth." But, the vocal bit isn't a sample. It isn't repeated or blended into a haze of effects. Instead, Dickow continues with verses and a refrain, a keyboard solo, and a band-oriented sound that gives equal space to all the instruments. "Objects of Desire" continues down the same path, with strong, funky rhythms, vocals pushed to the fore, and a brighter overall sound that favors instrumental separation to fuzzy atmospherics. Had I not recognized the opening sample as a Strategy sample, I might have checked to see if the right album was playing.
Dickow’s writing is also more concise this time around. Side A gives us four songs in just 17 minutes, only one without vocals. That terseness lends the first side lots of momentum, which culminates in the manic pulse of "Baby Fever." Horns, fluttering synthesizers, and a thumping rhythm section all dance together before boiling over into a sax solo that absolutely explodes from the horn. The lyrics in this song's first half sound a bit of a mismatched to me, but by the time the sax is done wailing, the vocals have ceased to matter.
It's a barn-burning side-ender that segues naturally into side B’s first song, "Friends and Machines," which utilizes the same horn and rhythm combo found at the end of "Baby Fever." This time around, the combo anchors an instrumental jam that’s lead by a staccato guitar part and a bubbling assortment of hand drums. Cooler sounds and a more relaxed vibe permeate this song—and the whole second side—but cooler does not mean duller. Dickow continuously adds layers and new elements to this song, building tension and then releasing it through his use of texture and color.
The album ends with "Saturn’s Day" and "Dilemmas," two slow-burning numbers that effectively open the parachute and bring the album slowly back to the ground. Both remind me of Paul’s work with Nudge and Fontanelle, partly because they are even more band-oriented than the songs on the first side. There’s even a guitar solo on "Saturn’s Day." Heady and druggy sounding, they're more soaked in reverb and echo, too, and closer to Paul’s past efforts as Strategy. Maybe that’s an indication that he’s erasing the boundaries between his various projects and drawing them all together, becoming less encumbered in the process. Dickow’s writing may have become more concise and structured over the last four years, but somehow Strategy sounds looser and better than ever.
samples:
 
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Her first solo full length in over six years, this album leans more into Bailiff's electric guitar and lush atmospherics rather than the more stripped down folk sound. It has a distinctly current sound, but in a way that triggers memories of the best of early 1990s alternative rock, which was a formative time in my musical development. That’s not to say that Bailiff's more folk inclinations are gone, however: the hushed, spectral voice and the slow, acoustic lead "Your Ghost is Not Enough" calls to mind the earlier, more folk heavy work, even with its transition into a more electrified conclusion.
A strong asset is Bailiff's penchant for balancing hypnotic repetition with sometimes drastic transitions.The slower, melancholy paced "Sanguine," for example, may have a restrained, sad opening, but slowly grows faster and more complex, while retaining the hypnotic vocals and sparse organ accompaniment.Towards its end, it builds to a swirling, psychedelic tinged work that rivals the best of Spacemen 3's forays into the genre.
The best moments are, for me, the ones where the sound takes a more drastic turn in one direction or another.For example, the light, spacious piano opening and angelic vocals that open "Goodnight," are stripped away by a noisy, dense guitar passage and a stiff, metronomic drum machine that, other than Bailiff's feather light voice and restrained volume levels, could be the makings of a very good doom metal song.
"Take Me To The Sun" and "Firefly" might not have as drastically different of a sound, but are comparably uptempo and catchy when compared to the more atmospheric, skeletal songs.The former is more hypnotic and spacey, and with the liberal use of reverb and drum machine is a bit reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s Darklands. "Firefly" just stands on its own as a strong, beautiful piece of hypnotic, droney rock music that is less about unadulterated repetition, and includes some very nice guitar soloing.
Like my favorite moments of the Old Things compilation, a good portion of At the Down-Turned Jagged Rim of the Sky makes liberal use of electric guitar and drum machines, which I have always found a captivating combination, more so than straight forward folk music, which Bailiff also does quite well.However, the combination of delicate, fragile beauty (in the vocals and instrumentation) with occasionally raw, dissonant moments, works together undeniably well.Plus, this is exactly how an album should be:a suite of songs that flow perfectly into one another, yet each has its own unique feel, be it pensive ambience orcatchy pop songwriting.
samples:
 
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
If the term spastic ever needed an audio equivalent, Survival Tricks would easily fit the bill. While it is rooted in an improvised rock context, bits of jazz, noise, and techno fly around like shards of broken glass in an album that is as equally abrasive as it is spectacular.
Unlike, say, the work of Torture Garden-era Naked City, this is not a work of surgical jump cuts and stop/start genre hopping precision, but something more in league with Boredoms' earliest (and best) works.This is immediately apparent on the rapid percussion and repetitive guitar scrapes of "Lend Some Treats," which quickly drops out in and out of snare rolls and bass guitar hits, occasionally settling into some sort of vaguely funk groove.
When the band settles into a more stable mood, such as the scatter-shot but propulsive "Grimy Super Soaker," it almost starts to resemble an '80s synth band and their gear being pushed down the stairs during a recording session.However, for all its chaos and noise, there is an underlying song-like structure that keeps it engaging, rather than just being a random blast of sound.
The longer "I Heard You Could See Baltimore From There" does do a better job at staying in one place, at times settling into a more pop-like, though still highly unconventional structure.While it’s the closest thing to an understated track on here, that is not saying much.
At times, this overly kinetic sound leans into grating, abrasive territories, such as the constant, repetitive scrape of "Electrolytes in the Brine" that simply goes on too long for such an abrasive approach.The following "A Throbbing Sphere" goes for similar repetition, but its shorter length and less trying sounds make it far more effective.
Normal Love is one of those bands that make description extremely difficult.They’re anything but subtle, and at times, the rapid pounding and crashing can be exhausting.The album as a whole is a bit of an endurance test, but in bite sized chunks, Survival Tricks is a great freakout in the vein of early no wave noise rock that is best absorbed in small doses.
samples:
Read More
- Creaig Dunton
- Albums and Singles
Marked as the final physical release from this small Chicago label, it is a fine way of leaving the business: a vomit-green swirled 7" in a minimalist, black letter-pressed sleeve creates a contrast that somewhat carries over into the sound of the vinyl. The vinyl contains only two tracks (one from each artist) but a free download is provided that gives digital versions of those two, plus two additional tracks not included on the physical release.
From what I can gather, this is the debut release for Harpoon, who provide some decent, if perhaps not compelling, grindcore/hardcore punk stuff. "To The Tall Trees" is not one of those intentionally rapid-fire songs to the point of absurdity as Agoraphobic Nosebleed would do, nor is it offensive or disgusting, like other bands of the genre, so it harkens more back to the early days of the genre than more modern permutations. Considering it clocks in at over five minutes, it also has to be varied, which it is: there are slower and restrained moments to match the rapid fire riffs and sub machine gun drum programming that keep it from being an exercise in tedium. The second, download only, track "Phlegm" is a bit more surf influenced with some noteworthy variation in approach, but it doesn’t make me want to become an acolyte of the genre.
On the flip side, Locrian’s "Ancestral Brutalism" starts out similar to their other drone work, but the low frequency static texture is met with a monotone jackhammer drum beat, Andre Foisey’s complex, yet simple guitar work, and some downright metal screaming from Terrence Hannum. The band has never shied away from metallic influences before, but never have they been so overt as they are here. The buried and reverberated mix gives that more esoteric edge that keeps it away from traditional hardcore punk/metal stuff, but it is still surprising to hear this side of things, given this band’s ever-growing discography. The "bonus" track, "Antediluvian Territory," goes back to their usual sound: guitar abuse, feedback, and a slow build from ambient into harsh electronic territory. The track shows that post-punk edge that has really been emphasized in their work as of late, which I find hard to describe, but is more Robert Smith than Stephen O’Malley in its nature. Something tells me they’ve listened to Seventeen Seconds more than they have any of Mayhem’s albums, but I could be entirely wrong.
While Harpoon really didn’t set my world on fire, someone who is a greater fan of grindcore would probably find a lot to love, as there is definitely a sense of musicality and composition to their work than other practitioners of the genre usually display, and having heard Locrian’s sound developing over the past year, I think they’re definitely polishing their own sound, separating themselves from an ever-growing sea of mundane drone metal projects.
Read More
- Administrator
- Albums and Singles
Despite having officially "broken up" over a year ago, this duo continues to put out a lot of posthumous work, and this one closes the "War Crimes" trilogy of recordings with their final performances in the United States, showing an ever-increasing sense of melody and Zen-like calm amongst the speaker shredding roar the duo surrounded themselves with.
Sequenced out of chronological order, these four tracks represent four individual live performances, unedited and recorded by others, rather than by the band themselves. The first is the final performance in 2008, recorded in Chicago. There is a wide open sense of ambience with clattering reverberated noises, dark stabs of noise, and slow building soft guitar work, hovering between minimal and maximal. About a third of the way through it dissolves into pure harsh chaos, but the melodic guitar never goes away, and an undulating rhythm causes the noise to clash with the less abrasive sounds.
The second track, recorded in Portland by renowned noisician John Wiese, has an intentional lo-fi quality to it. The hollow sound and ambient noises at the quieter moments feel much more "in the moment" than a sterile soundboard recording, but still accurately captures the subtle and quiet guitar loops and cold rustling sound that characterize the beginning of the show. When the track launches into crunchy, overdriven noise some clipping is obviously occurring, but it never eclipses the shrill scrapes and metallic guitar soloing and instead adds to the physical sensations that would have been felt standing in front of the PAs. The recording also captures a sense of discord that comes from playing to an unfamiliar audience (the band went on between a hip-hop act and a country band).
The noisier third performance is a live movie soundtrack performed by the band that focuses on the junk noise and electronic squall, but again allowing the melodic guitar work to appear, even if it is obscured by layers of fuzzbox grime. Even amidst the occasional guitar freakouts and air-raid siren electronics, there’s a feeling of spaciousness to the mix that is often lost in these sorts of performances.
The closing piece, recorded in Iowa at the end of their last full tour, has a more old school industrial sheen to it, with the deep, bass frequency pulses, squeals, and feedback. There’s a mechanical quality to the track that feels like it could be a lost outtake of an early SPK concert or a post-show riot at a Whitehouse performance. Less concessions are made to traditional “music” here, and instead the focus is on full volume assaults.
Surely the well of remaining material will run dry in the near future, however the increased sense of melody via Gabe Saloman’s guitar playing was a unique development that I would have loved to have heard more fully evolved. While they always did dark, murky noise very well, I wonder what the future would have held with the inclusion of more actual "music." Even as a closing statement, the four live sets here give some insight into what may have been. Or what could still possibly be…perhaps they just ran out of "D" words to precede the band name on releases?
samples:
Read More
